Championship Rounds Race Reports

Round 5: Santa Pod Raceway – UK National Finals – 27-28 September 2008

By some miracle, a weekend of fine, dry weather coincided with an important drag race. The morning fog which greeted both days of Santa Pod Raceway’s National Finals meeting was a minor irritant after the assortment of tempests that had so far blighted the 2008 season.

Surrey’s MSA British Drag Racing Champion-elect, Philip ‘Bert’ Englefield, eventually secured his crown, but not without dramas. Surprisingly unqualified after Saturday’s three attempts, Englefield solved the problem with a  last-ditch, 6.851sec. blast in Sunday morning’s final session, only to sustain engine damage which could not be repaired in time for the opening eliminations round.

Essex’s Graham Ellis capped a fine debut year by qualifying low, then winning the race but could not accumulate enough points to overhaul Englefield’s lead. Ellis’s 6.768/213.67 qualifying figures were Low ET and Top Speed of the Meet.

Another Essex rookie, Roger Moore, reached the final in only his third Pro Mod outing. Moore blasted his way into the 6-second, 200mph zone for the first time on his opening qualifying pass, comprehensively beating his previous personal-best marks.

Yorkshireman Wayne Nicholson was another 2008 debutant to achieve career-best figures during the event (7.196 and 191.13 on separate passes) and Dorset’s Kevin Slyfield ran close to his own best performance before a failed starter motor ruled him out of eliminations.

Despite the weather’s many depredations, no fewer than 31 entrants managed to score MSA points during the year.

RESULTS:

Qualifiers:
1. Graham Ellis Westcliff, UK 6.7680 / 213.67
2. Roger Moore Chelmsford, UK 6.8152 / 205.28
3. Philip Englefield Dorking, UK 6.8515 / 211.91
4. Kevin Slyfield  Verwood, UK 7.1622 / 198.08
Non-qualifier:
5. Wayne Nicholson Ossett, UK  7.1960 / 190.53

Eliminations:
Semi-finals:
Roger Moore 7.006 / 198.69  def.  Wayne Nicholson (alternate) 7.293 / 190.53
Graham Ellis – unopposed – 7.376 / 204.30

Final:
Graham Ellis 8.291 / 149.06  def.  Roger Moore – lost fire

Low ET of the Meet:  6.7680  -  Graham Ellis
Top Speed of the Meet:  213.67  -  Graham Ellis

Career-best performances set during event:

MSA British Drag Racing Championship Round 5 points:

The 2008 Season Standings are on the Rounds & Points page.